Appeal against GOC for refusing to restore a member after failure to renew

What happened

Jason (not his real name) had been removed from the GOC Student Register for failing to complete his online student registration form and subsequently testing patients whilst unregistered. 

Jason’s application to restore to the Register was rejected by the GOC, he was dismissed by his placement employer and was thus unable to complete his pre-registration. 

How we helped

We helped Jason with his appeal against the GOC’s decision not to restore him to the Student Register. A dedicated AOP solicitor obtained crucial evidence from Jason regarding his pre-registration placement and studies, renewal reminders, professional references, key witness statements and Jason’s personal testimony to the events preceding his removal and the steps he had taken to ensure non repetition.  

We represented Jason at his Registration Appeals Committee hearing and he gave evidence under oath. We established that Jason’s actions amounted to a genuine albeit grave error on his part and that he was safe and fit to train. 

The outcome

Jason’s appeal was successful, and he was restored to the Student Register. He was able to continue with his pre-registration and qualify as an optometrist.